1- Vita Balance Probiotic 40-Billion

Hands down, the most potent and effective probiotic supplement on the market. Most other leading brands contain less than a quarter of what this particular supplement offers.

Made from 100% natural ingredients, with premium quality assured.

Containing over 40 billion different organisms per serving, no other product can compete with the potency of Probiotic 40-Billion. It’s also one of the more affordable options, making it a win-win for someone looking for top quality at a great price.

5- NatureWise Maximum Care Probiotic

This supplement is proud to be 100% non GMO, vegetarian, and gluten free. This is very important for some people that like to avoid certain ingredients that are sometimes found in other similar supplements.

One of the more expensive products on the market, has been deemed overpriced in many occasions.

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What are probiotic supplements?

Probiotic supplements are microorganisms that have health benefits when taken orally.

They originated back in the 1980’s where it was introduced by Élie Metchnikoff, a Nobel Laureate, who examined that the peasants in Bulgaria who had taken yogurt lived longer because of a certain custom.

Further studies were made and the results indicated that these microorganisms indeed had health benefits and there was a need for probiotic supplements (2).

Most probiotics are live bacteria and yeast which are good for the body, especially the digestive system.

Though the word bacteria usually is shed in a negative light, probiotics are actually “good” or “helpful” bacteria that help keep your stomach or gut healthy. Probiotics can either be attained by eating certain foods, like yogurt, or by taking a supplement, usually in the form of a tablet (2).

How do probiotic supplements work?

Our stomaches contain both harmful and helpful bacteria – about 85% of the bacteria are helpful while the remaining are mostly bad.

Probiotics work to feed your gut with helpful bacteria to help you keep a good balance.

Sometimes, conditions like dysbiosis occur where there is an imbalance of bacteria in your gut and it starts to affect the rest of the body. Consuming probiotics, either from the different foods you eat or from probiotic supplements, can help bring your desirable ratio back to normal.

There are different types of probiotics and each of them have different benefits, some that even work together. When reading the labels of probiotic supplements, pay attention to the kind of bacteria involved as well as the CFUs, or the colony forming units, in the product (3).

The good gut bacteria can help in production of vitamin B-12, butyrate and vitamin K2. It also helps in eliminating bad bacteria, fungi and yeast.

The good bacteria also help in stimulation secretion of IgA and regulatory T cells, as well as producing enzymes that will eliminate bad bacteria in the body.

With the different kinds of probiotics, the most common one is Lactobacillus. This is mostly found in yogurts and other fermented food. This probiotic can help relieve diarrhea and aid those who are lactose intolerant and cannot digest lactose.

Another type of probiotics is Bififobacterium. This is found in dairy products and is believed to help relieve problems like irritable bowel syndrome. Nice.